...and
melt
withyou
how
to have a fondue party
by Stephanie Cloutier |1 234

We're
a generation that loves to look to the past for inspiration. We raid our
parents' digs for mid-century furniture pieces to adorn our space, we've
fallen in love with earthy tones again, despite the fact we used to hate
how brown and orange dominated our parents' décor palette. What is old
is now new, and the fondue has made a comeback once again.

Before fondue parties became
all the rage in the fifties, sixties and seventies, fondue had a
reputation as a complicated and almost exotic meal from Europe, served
only in expensive restaurants. Yet fondues are an extremely versatile
dish, and are surprisingly simple to make if all of the ingredients are
on-hand. It's also a dish that's meant to be shared with others, which
makes it an obvious choice to be served at your next party.

If winter has graced your area, it's the perfect time to fire up the
fondue pot. Invite a few friends or a special someone to enjoy some
fondue chez vous. It can be a large or small gathering, a late Sunday
afternoon lunch with the girls, or a funky party event on a Friday
night. Organize your own fondue party and you'll be so hip you'll be the
envy of all your friends, who'll wonder why they hadn't thought of it
sooner when it's this easy and this fun.

i'll fondue
youTraditionally, fondue
consists of melted cheese, generally Gruyere and Emmental, spiked with
wine. This concoction is served in a heated pot, along with cubes of
bread. Dating back to the 18th century, this Swiss meal utilized
ingredients that were found in almost every household. But like your
mother's own special meatloaf or your dad's unique barbecue sauce, the
fondue recipe varies from home to home, region to region, making them
the chameleons of the culinary world.

While the traditional pairing
of cheeses is delicious, you can incorporate some of your own favorite
cheeses instead, such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack. Add different wines
and liqueurs, or even use vegetables as an ingredient rather than a
dipper, and watch the fondue evolve into a completely different dish.
And there's no need to let your culinary imagination stop there -- fondue
is one of the few dishes, if not the only, where you can change all of
its ingredients and still call it a fondue. Substitute hot oil for the
cheese, provide some beef chunks for dipping, and have yourself a beef
fondue, also known as fondue bourguignionne. Or transform it once
again into a chocolate lover's dream, and serve melted chocolate and
fruit chunks as a dessert fondue. By swapping a few ingredients, you can
create a new world of flavor without changing much of the preparation.

back to the
basicsFirst of all, you'll
need a fondue set; there's no other way around it. While you can
technically melt the cheese in a regular saucepan, a fondue pot or a
caquelon as it's called, has a heavy bottom, which promotes heat
distribution and heat retention. This is essential when you're trying to
melt the cheese to the proper consistency. Most fondue pots available
are made of earthenware, glazed ceramic or enameled iron. Use a regular
saucepan to combine the ingredients and once it's ready to serve, pour
the mixture into the fondue pot. Depending on how thick-bottomed your
pot is, you can use it directly on the stove, however do check the
product directions first. Otherwise, you might be cleaning up your
fondue from your kitchen floor rather than serving it at your party.